How Fortune 500 Employees Make Their LinkedIn Profiles Stand Out to Recruiters

We all know the power of keywords—we use them in our resume to make it past the ATS, we include them in our cover letters to match the job description and show we have the right skills for the job, and we even use them on LinkedIn to make ourselves more searchable.

But how do we know which ones are most likely to catch a recruiter’s eye? Recent research by Grammarly (an app that helps you catch spelling and grammar mistakes in emails, Chrome, and more) suggests that the highest-ranked profiles share similar keywords.

The study looked at 750 LinkedIn profiles of Fortune 500 employees and found that these are the four most common terms:

Leader

Strategic

Solution

Innovative

In fact, over 30% of top profiles contained the word “leader.”

Of course, tossing these words into your profile probably isn’t enough to make all the recruiters flock to you. But what I found most fascinating about this insight is that these words aren’t exclusive to CEOs.

Think about it: How often do you consider yourself a leader (even if you’re not a manager)? Perhaps on a project? Maybe people look to you in meetings for answers? And how many times have you been innovative in your job or strategic? Or, come up with a solution to a problem?

The reality is that we all probably have what it takes to be seen as an expert in our roles (and if you don’t feel that way, ask yourself what an expert would know in your position, and start tackling those things one by one). The issue becomes that we’re not always good at expressing that.

So maybe it’s not just about finding the right keywords to include in your LinkedIn profile, but spending time crafting the perfect summary that paints your strengths and passions in the best light. Or, altering your headline so that it’s clear not just what you do on a daily basis, but what you’ve accomplished in your career. Or, using this stealthy guide to make every part of your profile sparkle.

Because when you showcase yourself like a pro, you convince others you’re the perfect person for the job.

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As Editor for The Muse, Alyse is proud to prove that yes, English majors can change the world. Her work has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, Inc., Motto, CNBC's Make It, USA Today College, Lifehacker, Mashable, and more. She calls many places home, including Illinois where she grew up and the small town of Hamilton where she attended Colgate University, but she was born to be a New Yorker. In addition to being an avid writer, Alyse loves to dance, both professionally and while waiting for the subway.